The morning after the kiss felt heavier than it should have.
Ren woke up earlier than usual, but he didn't get out of bed right away. His body felt sluggish, his mind still trapped somewhere between guilt and something softer — something he couldn't name.
He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the faint morning light seeping through the curtains.
The memory of her lips — the faint taste of her breath, the way her hands shook against his — refused to fade.
It wasn't supposed to happen.
But it did.
And now, no matter how many times he told himself to forget, his heart refused to listen.
---
At school, everything looked the same — the chatter of students, the sound of footsteps in the hallway, the smell of fresh chalk from the morning lessons.
But for Ren and Aoi, the world had shifted.
When she entered the classroom, Ren felt it immediately — that invisible pull between them.
Aoi looked radiant that morning, though she didn't seem to notice. Her hair caught the sunlight, her lips faintly pinker than usual.
She greeted her friends with her usual soft smile, but when her eyes met Ren's — even for just a second — she froze.
And so did he.
It was just one glance, but it felt like a lifetime compressed into a heartbeat.
They both quickly looked away, pretending nothing happened. But everyone else might as well have disappeared; for that one moment, it was only them.
---
During lunch, Kaito came over to her desk with his usual grin. "Hey, want to eat together on the roof?"
Aoi blinked, her hand tightening slightly around her chopsticks. "Ah… sure."
Ren glanced from his seat, expression unreadable.
They left the classroom together, but halfway up the stairs, Aoi felt the weight of what she was doing pressing down again.
Kaito was talking about his match next weekend — his excitement, how he wanted her to come.
Aoi smiled and nodded at the right moments, but her heart wasn't there.
When they reached the rooftop, the wind brushed through her hair, and she looked out at the distant horizon.
Kaito sat beside her, unwrapping his lunch. "Hey," he said, noticing her silence, "you okay?"
"Yeah," she said softly. "Just… a bit tired."
He nodded, not pressing further. He always gave her space — maybe too much of it.
As they ate, her mind drifted — to last night, to the way Ren looked at her after the kiss, to the way he whispered, It wasn't a mistake.
Her heart fluttered painfully.
She tried to shake it off, but she couldn't.
---
Ren sat in class alone during lunch. Miyu had club practice that day, so he had the room mostly to himself.
He leaned back, staring out the window at the courtyard below.
And there she was.
Aoi — walking with Kaito, her laughter faintly carried by the wind.
For some reason, that sound — the sound of her laughing with someone else — made his chest tighten.
He told himself he had no right to feel that way. That he was the one who told her to move on. That he was the one who started dating someone else first.
But knowing all that didn't make it any easier.
He turned away from the window, pressing a hand against his chest as if that could quiet the noise inside him.
---
After school, Aoi lingered behind while her friends packed their things.
Kaito had already left for soccer practice, and the classroom grew quieter with each passing second.
Ren was still there, pretending to organize his notes.
For a while, neither said anything. The soft rustling of papers was the only sound between them.
Finally, Aoi spoke. "You're… staying late?"
"Yeah," he said, his voice low. "Just catching up on some work."
She nodded. "Me too."
They both knew that was a lie.
A moment passed. Then another.
Finally, Ren turned toward her. "Do you… want to go somewhere?"
Aoi hesitated — just for a second — before nodding. "Yeah."
---
They ended up in one of the empty music rooms on the third floor — a place rarely used after hours. The soft golden glow of the sunset spilled through the windows, painting the room in shades of orange and red.
Ren leaned against the piano while Aoi stood near the window, her fingers tracing the glass absentmindedly.
Neither of them knew what to say.
Everything they'd done — everything they were doing — felt wrong. But being there, in that quiet room, it didn't feel wrong at all.
It felt like coming home.
Finally, Aoi broke the silence. "About last night…"
Ren looked up. "Yeah?"
She turned to him, her expression unreadable. "I haven't stopped thinking about it."
He didn't respond — he didn't know how to.
She took a small step closer. "I know it's wrong, Ren. I know I shouldn't feel this way. But… when I'm with you, everything feels easier. Like the world stops trying to hurt me."
Ren swallowed hard. "Aoi…"
She shook her head, her eyes glistening. "Don't say anything. Just—"
Before he could react, she closed the distance between them.
This kiss was softer than the first — slower, trembling, but filled with the same desperate emotion.
Ren froze for a second, then gently placed his hand behind her head, deepening it.
The sunlight caught her hair, turning it gold as their lips moved together — clumsy, yearning, forbidden.
When they finally pulled away, Aoi leaned her forehead against his chest, her breathing uneven.
"I missed this," she whispered.
Ren hesitated before whispering back, "We shouldn't keep doing this."
"I know," she said. "But if I can't be with you like this, even for a moment, I'll break."
Her voice cracked at the end, and Ren's heart sank.
He wanted to tell her he felt the same — that she was the one thing that made everything else make sense.
But all he could do was hold her, silently, as the light outside faded into dusk.
---
That night, Aoi went home with a quiet smile she couldn't hide.
And for the first time in weeks, Ren fell asleep without feeling empty.
Neither of them knew how long it could last — or what would happen if someone found out.
But for now, they didn't care.
Because for the first time since everything began, they finally felt alive again.